Mahoning seeks to stop Carfaro infomercial on Oakhill

YOUNGSTOWN — A visiting judge will view a videotape of a program featuring excerpts of video depositions from Mahoning County Commissioners Anthony Traficanti and David Ludt before deciding whether the program can be aired on local TV stations.

Judge Richard M. Markus took under advisement the county’s request for a temporary gag order to bar the Ohio Valley Mall Co. and its lawyers from publicly disseminating matters pertaining to OVM’s lawsuit, which seeks to block the county from spending money to renovate Oakhill Renaissance Place to accommodate the county’s Department of Job and Family Services.

The tape, containing excerpts from depositions taken for OVM’s lawsuit, was sent to Judge Markus, after a telephone conference late Wednesday between the judge and lawyers for OVM and the county. OVM, which bills its complaint as a taxpayer’s suit, is JFS’ current landlord at Garland Plaza on the city’s East Side.

John J. Cafaro, executive vice president of the Cafaro Co., parent of OVM, said his company bought a half-hour of air time, and the program is scheduled for broadcast at 11:30 a.m. Sunday on WFMJ-TV, Channel 21, and WKBN-TV, Channel 27.

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